Author

Emily Black

Jerry Heckendorn Places First with His Craftsman Style Addition


Layout sheet of a residential second story addition and interior remodel.

By Emily Black

Jerry wins 1st place in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His level of detail and craftsmanship show his passion and experience.

Jerry Heckendorn
Jerry Heckendorn

“Soon to be 63 years old, I was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan area.  After high school, I attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1980 from the School of Architecture with my Bachelor of Science in Architecture.  Shortly after graduation, I married my beautiful and brilliant high school sweetheart, Debbie, who often helps me when I’m struggling with project designs… and is also my best critic (soon to be celebrating our 39th anniversary!). 

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Modern Remodel Design by Eric Hoff


Modern home design with metal and brick siding, roof top patio, and two car garage.

By Emily Black

Eric, an Idaho native, places third in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His artistic talents were a perfect fit for a career in home design.

Picture of Eric Hoff
Eric Hoff

“I was born in Pocatello, Idaho and then moved to Idaho Falls and lived on the family farm and worked with my father who flew airplanes and was a metal fabricator. I took on a job as a laborer that placed me in the building industry framing houses and building cabinets. I was very intrigued by the plans that we worked from. I am an artist and planned to go to college in Boise, Idaho to study Art, Advertising and Design. To pay my way through college, I worked construction at various levels including building houses.

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Jim Shallman Wins 3rd Place with His Story and a Half Log Home


By Emily Black

Jim places third in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. His log home design maximizes space with a light and spacious feel.

“This is the home my wife and I built in Crosslake, Minnesota, which is the second home I have designed for our family. We have lived in Crosslake for most of late spring, summer, and fall. We also have a townhome in Maple Grove, Minnesota that we stay in for most of the winter.

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Jim Ducharme Wins 2nd with His Dream Log Home Design


Two story log home design with large deck and outdoor living.

By Emily Black

Jim places second in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. He is a home enthusiast who is making his dreams of living in a log home a reality!

Picture of Jim Ducharme
Jim Ducharme

“My wife and I are from Somersworth, New Hampshire and are in the process of building our dream/retirement home in Berwick, Maine. We have always dreamed of living in a spacious log home with visions of our kids, their kids, and our extended family enjoying time together. We have been designing this home in our minds for decades and a couple of years ago we decided to move ahead and make it happen.

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Converting an Unfinished Space into a Beautiful Laundry/Bathroom


Small bathroom design with glass shower, vanity and toilet.

By Emily Black

Have you ever fantasized about converting an unfinished room into a functional and beautiful space? One of our customers did just that.

Susie thoughtfully considered all aspects of her design and budget and made her dreams a reality! She picked up Home Designer Suite, redesigned her laundry room into a laundry/bathroom, hired a contractor and construction team, got permits and made her design a reality. The project turned out beautifully!

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Paul Machado Wins 3rd with His Open Concept Kitchen Design!


I had free reigns on this design. Done with a few hours of Ray Trace.

By Emily Black

Paul placed third in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest. He has been using CAD programs since his architectural drafting shop days at the local vocational school.

Chief Architect customer, Paul Machado., standing in front of his finished kitchen design

Paul Machado, Design Manager at Southcoast Kitchen Designs

“I have been in the kitchen industry for just over six years using the same software all my other competitors were using. I started my career in 2012 at a big box store as a kitchen design salesperson, then got more into the technical end of it in the more recent years.

“I currently transitioned to a team with similar long-term aspirations to become a premier Massachusetts Design Build Firm. I knew that making the switch of software to Chief Architect would be essential for our growth. Not just because the scope of the work we were about to take on required much more detailed plans to achieve smooth project flow, but also to separate ourselves from any competitors. (more…)

Wine Storage Solutions with WineRacks.com


Actual image of a wine cellar filled with wine

By Emily Black

 

Chief Architect has been working with WineRacks.com since 2012 to offer their wine storage product line. Their USA made wine storage solutions provide a unique design for any small or large project.

WineRacks.com is located in New York’s Hudson Valley and has been serving their customers since 1992.  Over the years, their product selections have expanded to include a wide range of small capacity wine racks, wine accessories, cooling units and lighting for wine cellars.

With the goal of providing the very best customer service and product quality, WineRacks.com is manufacturing their own wooden wine storage units within the US with environmentally responsible raw materials.

I had the chance to speak with Jeremy of WineRacks.com to dive deeper into what makes a great wine cellar.

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Jennifer Lazarus Places 2nd with Her Stone Tudor Home Design


Dream Home that has evolved over many years,

By Emily Black

Jennifer placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! Her passion for design began when she was 10 years old and has flourished in her career as a home designer.

Jennifer Lazarus

I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.

“Unofficially, I started drawing house plans on graph paper when I was 10 years old, and I knew that designing was something I wanted to pursue as a profession.  Officially, I started designing in 2005, when I began working for and training with a local designer in my hometown of Memphis, TN.  In 2010, I began doing freelance residential design while also pursuing a career in another field.  I founded Ideal House Plans, LLC in 2017 and am currently working on growing the business.

“I’ve been a Chief Architect customer since May 2018.  Earlier in the year, I knew that I would need quality 3D renderings to post on the new website, so I began my search for the right software to use.  I downloaded several trial versions of various software to determine what would work best for me. In the end, I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.”

 

We really enjoyed seeing Jennifer’s work. To see more examples of her designs, visit idealhouseplansllc.com/shop. We wish Jennifer the very best with the launch of her new website.

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Sarah Rickard Places 1st with Her Dream Home


One story home design with walkout basement, covered deck, pool and pool house.

By Emily Black

Sarah placed 1st in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! She is a home design hobbyist, but you can see her eye for design shine through in her winning home design.

 

Sarah Rickard & Her Husband

Sarah was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and now calls the Dayton, Ohio area home with her husband.

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Angela Brings Home Silver at the 2018 National Leadership Conference


Angela with her interior design boards that she designed using Chief Architect.